When Marvel's The Avengers made cinematic history back in 2012, every single film studio wanted to replicate the comic book giant's massive success.

Of course, there was pressure from Marvel's rival, DC, to do the same with their superhero team – The Justice League – and after limping their way to this point, DC's elite squad of do-gooders -- Batman (Ben Affleck), Superman (Henry Cavill), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) -- have finally arrived to the party.

Justice League picks up months after the events of Batman v Superman, with Batman and Wonder Woman enlisting a group of superpowered figures – including the King of Atlantis (Aquaman), the fastest man alive (The Flash) and the half man half machine (Cyborg) – to take down the villainous Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) – an alien from another planet seeking three powerful boxes.

And that's the Justice League plotline in a nutshell: a simple, safe, uncomplicated and optimistic narrative about heroes saving the day – a far cry from its meaty predecessors Batman v Superman and Man of Steel, and quite possibly the film's biggest weakness. Instead of a strong and thought-provoking story, the under-plotted Justice League offers nothing more than a thin, clunky and predictable narrative that chooses to gather dust in the back row, while the other elements shine bright.

Justice League's infamous lengthy production is easily to blame as Avengers director Joss Whedon was brought on late in the game to reshoot bits of new footage and finish the film, while original director Zack Snyder took a leave of absence following the death of his daughter.

Overall, Justice League still feels like a Snyder film but with many Whedon touches scattered across its two-hour runtime.

Thanks to Whedon, DC's band of super-powered figures mesh together well; the superlative character work and excellent chemistry among the heroes is what keeps the film engaging throughout.

And let's not forget the director's signature brand of comedic one-liners and ability to craft crowd-pleasing light-hearted fun – elements that work well in Justice League's favour.

Thanks to Snyder, the stylistic action sequences are nothing to be scoffed at, with mesmerising visuals that will impress. Another highlight worth mentioning is the insanely talented cast, with excellent performances from Miller's charismatic speedster (the film's standout), Momoa's sassy man-fish and Gadot's Amazonian Princess.

Verdict: While Justice League's thin narrative doesn't do it any favours, its charismatic character work, sassy humour, optimistic tone and stylistic action save it from falling into the abyss. Overall, Justice League is a fun, entertaining and average superhero team-up film and nothing more.